Books For Economic Development Professionals
The Local And Regional Economic Development Handbook: Build Prosperous, Sustainable and Inclusive Local Economies
Everything the field expects you to know — in one reference you can trust, for the whole of your career.
Read it once and you’ll have the grounding the job assumes you already have. Keep it on your desk and you’ll reach for it for years — when you’re making the economic case to elected members, testing a business plan that has to stack up, designing a programme that needs to deliver, or briefing a partner who’s relying on you to know. Thirty-two years of UK practice, distilled into a single working reference that spans every discipline in the field and shows you how the work actually gets done. Whatever your role in shaping places and economies, this is the book that makes you more confident, more credible, and more effective — in the room and on the ground.
What experts and professionals are saying about The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook
“The breadth and depth of the evidence is impressive… It should be essential reading for all practitioners, policy makers and leaders who want to bring about real change in the places they serve.”
PROFESSOR PETER TYLER, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF URBAN AND REGIONAL ECONOMICS, DEPARTMENT OF LAND ECONOMY, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND EMERITUS PROFESSORIAL FELLOW AT ST CATHARINE’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
“If you work in economic development, this will become your go-to resource. I love the practical focus, the case studies and the relentless focus on making lives and communities better.”
ADAM BREEZE, INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION SPECIALIST, DIRECTOR, STATE OF TENNESSEE FOR UK & IRELAND, INWARD INVESTMENT CONSULTANT.
“This economic development handbook is a ‘must have’ for anyone in the place-based economic field and provides valuable insights from Glenn’s extensive practical experience which is grounded in strong evidence and research.”
SARAH MURRAY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FORTH GREEN FREEPORT
“As a practitioner in economic development for forty years this handbook is the best resource on economic development that I have ever read.”
GORDON KENNEDY, FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE GLASGOW
“This handbook bridges the gap between theory and practice beautifully. A must-read for local government leaders, planners, and economic development professionals alike.”
PROFESSOR SAMI MAHROUM, CEO, SPARK X, A POLICY ADVISORY FIRM
Prosperity In Every Postcode: Build Organisations That Turn Devolution Into Economic Development and Growth
Learn how to set up the organisations and teams that can discover and implement best practice themselves, and continually improve.
Power, money and responsibility are moving to mayors, combined authorities and councils – the opportunity places have been asking for. The places that thrive will be the ones that build the capability to use it well: sound evidence, strong relationships, well-designed programmes, disciplined delivery and continuous learning. All of it is buildable, and this book shows how.This book is not a strategy document and it is not a toolkit. There are no holy grails of local and regional economic development: no formula, no transplantable model, no single lever that works everywhere. What there is, instead, is a set of disciplines and capabilities that make institutions great at delivery. Prosperity in Every Postcode is an operating philosophy for the people responsible for the results.
What experts and professionals are saying about Prosperity In Every Postcode
“The new Labour government Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has made ‘growth in every postcode’ a key policy promise. This excellent book sets out the intellectual arguments and policy mechanisms for securing this goal. It is replete with well-founded policy guidance, based on the author’s many years of practical local development practice. It shows how the enormous scope that exists for local place-based policy action can be marshalled to help secure sustainable and inclusive improvements to local economic performance and prosperity, improvements which are vital if economic growth, living standards and social cohesion are to be raised right across Britain. This highly engaging and important book should be mandatory reading not just for academics interested in greater spatial economic balance, but crucially for all those involved in economic policymaking, both at local and national levels. Glenn Athey is to be congratulated for writing what for long has been sorely needed: a cogent, informed, hard-hitting but eminently practical book on how ‘prosperity in every postcode’ can actually be achieved.”
PROFESSOR RON MARTIN SCD FBA, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
“Glenn Athey has written the book the new devolved institutions need before they need it. He is unflinching about forty years of central failure, but braver still in holding a mirror up to those of us who lead locally. If you are building a strategic authority or a new unitary council and you want it to deliver, not just announce, read this now.”
ROB HUNTINGTON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ROSSENDALE BOROUGH COUNCIL
“This is the ultimate actionable guide to delivering great local economic development. Not only a must-read, it’s a must-do, with practical tips and solutions backed by evidence and best practice.”
ADAM BREEZE, INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION SPECIALIST, DIRECTOR, STATE OF TENNESSEE FOR UK & IRELAND, INWARD INVESTMENT CONSULTANT
“What a brilliant book! It shines an important light on how to actually make economic development work at what is a pivotal time in the industry. Glenn is genuinely curious in examining best practice and barriers to economic development and is generous in sharing his considerable experiences to bring together practical ways to build a best in class economic development team. I wish I had this years ago!”
JAMES CUSHING, HEAD OF LOCAL GROWTH, CONNECTED PLACES CATAPULT
“As we move to a new phase of devolution in England, this book challenges place leaders to start with an honest and critical view of their local economy’s past, present and potential future. This powerful book jumps straight to the hard truths about local economic development – and gives practitioners the tools to face those hard truths.”
MAJEED NEKY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ECONOMY, WEST LONDON ALLIANCE
“Glenn Athey pulls no punches when he says that, if we want to achieve growth in the places we work to support, then that economic development work and the teams that deliver it needs to be great. Not good or adequate, but GREAT. Because, as he explains, 40 years of good and well-intended economic development work hasn’t achieved that aim.
“He sets out clearly the underlying causes of that and, encouragingly, clear and achievable steps to address those. He also leaves no doubt that this work is urgent. Obviously so for the people and communities that will benefit, but because government have been proven to be fickle, opting to change or defund anything that can’t be shown to be successful rather than wait for improvement. Without measurable results in five years, those doubts will start to arise, and red pens will be poised over the work and the teams that strive to deliver growth.
“The book provides the motivation and clear steps to build and lead great economic development work. If you need to be convinced, or to convince others, that great work is both essential and achievable, read Prosperity in Every Postcode now.”
HOWARD PARTRIDGE, FORMER INNOVATION LEAD FOR INNOVATE UK’S STRENGTH IN PLACES FUND
Testimonials and Team
Glenn (BA, MA, PhD) has 31 years of experience in local, city and regional economic development and regeneration.
This includes executive leadership, project development and leadership, area visioning programmes, leading partnerships, and economic analysis and insight.
Glenn has held senior roles at Futureskills Scotland, London Development Agency, Centre for Cities, The East of England Development Agency, and Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP.
Glenn also heads up a consultancy practice at Mylocaleconomy; and contributes to the Local Skills Improvement Partnership.
"A Fabulous Resource For Our Industry"
“A big shout out to Glenn Athey who has taken his many years in economic development consultancy and created Economic Development World (www.economicdevelopment.world), the UK’s first online community for local and regional economic development that provides CPD, on-demand lean learning, a community of peers and workbooks. Built on three pillars of accelerated learning, shared knowledge and community support, it is a fabulous resource for our industry. Have a look at Glenn’s video tour at: https://economicdevelopment.world/take-a-video-tour-of-economic-development-world/
“From what I have seen already, this has the potential to create a stepchange in how the UK delivers economic development, putting the skills and development of practitioners, whether newbies or old hands, front and centre.
“Get yourselves signed up, get involved and support this great initiative.”
Do you want to be great at economic development?
I mean the question literally, and I think everyone in this field should answer it. Not “do you want your place to prosper” – everyone wants that, the way everyone wants good weather. I mean: does your institution intend to become genuinely excellent at the discipline...
𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀
Not because they weren't smart. Not because they didn't work hard. But because nobody had ever explained to them what economic development actually is. What is the mission? What is the function? What are the dilemmas you'll face when public purpose and private...
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
I sat in meetings early in my career where decisions were being made and I didn't know the local backstory. Who had tried what before? Why certain approaches had been abandoned? What are the political sensitivities? What the community actually needed versus what...
𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆
𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝟣𝟫𝟫𝟢𝘴 I thought I was reasonably well prepared. I had read the research, understood the theories, sat in plenty of meetings with practitioners. What I wasn't prepared for was the reality of...
On Sale Today! The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook
Today's the day. The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook is now available in hardback via amazon. After two years of writing — and thirty-two years of practice behind it — the book is out! I've also recorded a ten-minute video walkthrough that takes you...
The Arithmetic of Business Survival
What Every Economic Development Practitioner Needs to Know About Business Finance Enterprise support is one of the most well-intentioned areas of economic development work — and one of the most frequently misdirected. We celebrate entrepreneurship, fund business...